WASHINGTON – Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer and longtime fixer, will testify publicly before the House Oversight Committee in February, an appearance that is likely to air potentially embarrassing details and set up a very public spectacle about his now-fraught relationship with the president.

Cohen, who was sentenced to three years in prison for a series of crimes, including campaign finance violations and tax evasion, is scheduled to testify Feb. 7 about his dealings with Trump that resulted in his conviction. For years, Cohen worked as Trump's most strident defender in legal, business and political matters yet turned on him as federal prosecutors honed in on his business and legal dealings.

“In furtherance of my commitment to cooperate and provide the American people with answers, I have accepted the invitation by Chairman Elijah Cummings to appear publicly... before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform," Cohen told USA TODAY in a text message

"I look forward to having the privilege of being afforded a platform with which to give a full and credible account of the events which have transpired.”

It was Cohen who acknowledged arranging hush-money payments before the 2016 election to two women, porn star Stormy Daniel and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claimed affairs with Trump. Cohen has implicated the president in the payments, saying he made them at the direction of the Trump.

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Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s longtime personal attorney, leaving the hearing room following his testimony to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Feb. 27, 2019 in Washington. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for a series of federal crimes, including campaign finance violations and tax evasion. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY

Robin Bell, left, and Sorane Yamahira look at their work projected on the Trump International Hotel, July 23, 2018, in Washington. In a city with a long tradition of leftist street activism, Bell has become something of a local celebrity. Every few weeks, Bell puts messages of protest on the side of the Trump International Hotel. He's called President Donald Trump a pig and a racist, used smiling poop emojis, and taunted the president with images of his former lawyer, Michael Cohen. Alex Brandon, AP

Michael Cohen, longtime personal lawyer and confidante for President Donald Trump, leaves Federal Court after his hearing at the United States District Court Southern District of New York, April 16, 2018, in New York. Officials with the FBI, armed with a search warrant, raided Cohen's office and two private residences last week. YANA PASKOVA, GETTY IMAGES

Adult-film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, speaks outside U.S. Federal Court with her lawyer Michael Avenatti (R) in Lower Manhattan, New York on April 16, 2018.
Stormy Daniels, the porn star who claims to have had a consensual sexual encounter with Donald Trump a decade ago, said April 17, 2018 that she is pursuing legal action against the president because she is "done being bullied.""I'm tired of being threatened, intimidating me, and trying to say that you'll ruin my life and take all my money and my house," Daniels said on ABC's "The View.""I'm done being bullied," Daniels said of legal threats from Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen, who is now embroiled in his own legal troubles."I'm done," Daniels said. EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ, AFP/GETTY IMAGES

In this courtroom sketch, Joanna Hendon, right, one of President Donald Trump's lawyers, speaks as the president's personal attorney Michael Cohen, left, sits next to one of his own attorneys Todd Harrison, center, with porn star Stormy Daniels visible in the audience between Cohen and Harrison, during a federal court hearing in New York, April 16, 2018. Attorneys for Cohen and Trump tried to persuade U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood to delay prosecutors from examining records and electronic devices seized in the raids on the grounds that many of them are protected by attorney-client privilege. ELIZABETH WILLIAMS VIA AP

(L to R) Todd Harrison and Joseph Evans, attorneys for Michael Cohen, arrive for a court proceeding regarding the search warrants served on President Donald Trump's longtime personal attorney Michael Cohen, at the United States District Court Southern District of New York, April 13, 2018 in New York. Cohen and his lawyers were asking the court to block Justice Department officials from reading documents and materials related to his relationship with President Donald Trump that they believe should be protected by attorney-client privilege. Officials with the FBI, armed with a search warrant, raided Cohen's office and two private residences earlier in the week. DREW ANGERER, GETTY IMAGES

CBS This Morning co-anchor Gayle King, left, Stormy Daniels' attorney Michael Avenatti, CNN news anchor Don Lemon and FOX News talk show host Sean Hannity pose for a selfie at The Hollywood Reporter's annual 35 Most Powerful People in Media event at The Pool on Thursday, April 12, 2018, in New York.
In court hearings on April 16, 2018, it was revealed that the client list of presidential lawyer Michael Cohen also includes Sean Hannity, one of the president's biggest supporters. EVAN AGOSTINI, INVISION/AP

In this Sept. 19, 2017 file photo, President Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen appears in front of members of the media after a closed door meeting with the Senate Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill, in Washington. Federal agents carrying court-authorized search warrants have seized documents from Cohen according to a statement from Cohens attorney, Stephen Ryan. He says that the search warrants were executed by the office of the U.S. Attorney for Southern District of New York but they are in part related to special counsel Robert Muellers investigation. Andrew Harnik, AP

The actress Stephanie Clifford, who uses the stage name Stormy Daniels, performs at the Solid Gold Fort Lauderdale strip club on March 9, 2018 in Pompano Beach, Florida. Stephanie Clifford who claims to have had an affair with President Trump has filed a suit against him in an attempt to nullify a nondisclosure deal with Trump attorney Michael Cohen days before Trump's 2016 presidential victory. Joe Raedle, Getty Images

Michael Cohen's lawyer David Schwartz appeared on Megyn Kelly TODAY on March 29, 2018 to discuss the Stormy Daniels lawsuit against President Trump and her attorney's motion to depose Trump and Cohen. Schwartz called the case "completely frivolous." Nathan Congleton, NBC

(L to R) Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, President-elect Donald Trump's choice for National Security Advisor, Michael Cohen, executive vice president of the Trump Organization and special counsel to Donald Trump, and former Texas Governor Rick Perry talk with each other in the lobby at Trump Tower, December 12, 2016, in New York City. President-elect Donald Trump and his transition team were in the process of filling cabinet and other high level positions for the new administration. Drew Angerer, Getty Images

The payments led in August to Cohen pleading guilty to a series of crimes, including campaign finance violations and tax evasion in the Southern District of New York.

The president, while visiting the southern U.S. border, said of Cohen's testimony: "I’m not worried about it at all."

Last month, Cohen admitted that he lied to Congress in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. He has cooperated heavily with Mueller's team and sat down with investigators on seven different occasions, offering details that were "core" to the Russian investigation, according to a court filing by Mueller ahead of Cohen's sentencing last month.

"My own weakness was blind loyalty to the man that caused me to choose the path of darkness," Cohen said during his sentencing hearing in New York. "Time and time again, I felt it was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds."

Cohen said during the hearing that he took "full responsibility" for the nine felonies to which he pleaded guilty – "the personal ones to me and those involving the president of the United States of America."

Cummings announced Cohen's planned appearance on Thursday. Before Democrats took over leadership of the House, Cummings had repeatedly expressed his interest in obtaining Cohen's testimony.

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Despite admitting to lying to investigators and Congress, former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison by a federal judge.
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“I thank Michael Cohen for agreeing to testify before the Oversight Committee voluntarily," Cummings said. "I want to make clear that we have no interest in inappropriately interfering with any ongoing criminal investigations, and to that end, we are in the process of consulting with Special Counsel Mueller’s office. The Committee will announce additional information in the coming weeks."

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said he hopes to also have Cohen testify in a closed-door session before the House Intelligence Committee, which he now leads, about the Russia investigation.

"Mr. Cohen has expressed an interest in telling his personal story in open session, and we welcome his testimony before the Committee on Oversight and Reform," Schiff said in a statement. "It will be necessary, however, for Mr. Cohen to answer questions pertaining to the Russia investigation, and we hope to schedule a closed session before our committee in the near future."